"Proud to be Hertha captain"

Vedad Ibisevic discussed the importance of experience, the captaincy and his own future in Schladming.

At the moment I am still planning to carry on after this season, because I feel good at the moment.

Schladming – The time away from Berlin spent in Austria is not unchartered territory for the Hertha players. They are already all too familiar with the energy-sapping training sessions, the accommodation in Schladming and above all the interviews with journalists travelled from Berlin. After their lunch, the Hertha players gave their interviews, discussing their personal goals, Berlin and the upcoming season. After Niklas Stark and Arne Maier, it was finally Vedad Ibisevic’s turn. Herthabsc.de summarised the comments made by the captain.

Vedad Ibisevic about...

...his condition and the importance of goals: Just like everyone else I am giving it all in pre-season and I am trying to stay as fit as I can. Obviously it doesn’t get any easier with age, but I don’t think it’s that much more difficult. Everyone else is also suffering, which makes me feel better about myself! Overall I am satisfied with my condition and I am simply looking forward to the future. Scoring goals will naturally do me good, but the season still hasn’t started yet, so nothing really matters until then.

...the current Hertha squad: Last season we thought that we had improved ourselves, but then finished lower down the table. Therefore it is always difficult to judge before the season, how strong the squad we have assembled actually is. Eventually time will tell. We haven’t made any massive transfers, although a few new lads have joined. We will have to see how it all comes together. Younger players are a lot more unpredictable, and even though other clubs have perhaps spent a lot more money, there is still no guarantee that it’ll work for them.

...the young players: It is unrealistic to expect the young players to have a massive influence from the get-go. They all have plenty of quality, but still need to gain more experience first. Youth football is a different world to the professional game. As a result, they will have to be able to make this adjustment, but they will have our support of course.

...the importance of the experienced players: It is important to have some sort of balance in the squad. The young players need tips and guidance from the older players, in order to improve their own games. This can really help the youngsters. With Salomon Kalou, Fabian Lustenberger, Per Skjelbred, Rune Jarstein, Thomas Kraft and myself we have plenty of experienced players, who are more than happy to share our experiences. We all try and help prepare the youngsters for what is ahead of them.

Quote

"At the moment I am still planning to carry on after this season, because I feel good at the moment. "

Vedad Ibisevic

...missing Davie Selke: His injury is obviously a bad thing for us. He was a very important player for us last year and scored plenty of goals. The situation hasn’t changed for me personally though as I have always worked hard to get game time. I will possibly get more game time with Davie out injured, but as a team we have to work together to cope without him. If we can get some positive results, Davie will have more time to completely concentrate on getting fully fit.

...the captaincy: I have always made it very clear, that I am proud to be captain of a team like Hertha. Doing this job should be an honour for anyone. I think I am also well suited to the role, due to the fact that I am the oldest player. Nevertheless other players could of course wear the armband.

...a back three: It would be a tactical change, which would in theory be perfect for us. At the moment it’s looking good for us, but we still have to practice it in more detail, in order to be able to use it in bigger games. It is also important to be able to switch up our tactics and play in a different way. Therefore learning to play with a back three is another string to our bow which we can utilise. My role in the system still doesn’t change massively; I will still be running non-stop and trying to score goals.

...his future: At the moment I am still planning to carry on after this season, because I feel good at the moment. However a season is a very long time and in a few months I may well start to consider my future. I just want to enjoy the year, stay fit and see what happens. After I retire I would love to stay involved in the game, although I haven’t made any set plans yet.